A senior European Union official has stressed the importance of a tripartite agreement by Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Stefano
Manservisi, the European Union Commission’s Director-General for
International Cooperation and Development said the pact: “represents an
important step to be welcome for peace and development in the Horn and
its neighbourood. We stand ready to support and cooperate.”

The
pact was signed in Asmara by leaders of the three Horn of Africa nations
on Wednesday when Ethiopia Prime Minister arrived in Eritrea for a
two-day visit.

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Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi
Mohamed joined Abiy and Eritrean leader Isaias Afwerki to sign the deal
which chiefly is aimed at fostering comprehensive cooperation between
them.

The main planks of the agreement as stated by the Eritrean information Minister were:

1. The three countries shall foster comprehensive cooperation that advances the goals of their peoples.2. The three countries shall build close political, economic, social, cultural and security ties.3. The three countries shall work in coordination to promote regional peace and security.4.
The three governments hereby establish a Joint High-Level Committee to
coordinate their efforts in the framework of this Joint Declaration.

As
an immediate offshoot of its dividends, foreign ministers of the three
countries on Thursday morning flew to Djibouti to begin talks over
Eritrea-Djibouti tensions.

Djibouti in July this year petitioned
the United Nation’s security council, asking the body to ‘facilitate an
agreement between them upon a mutually acceptable means of peaceful
dispute settlement.’

The disputed territories in question is the
Dumeira mountain and Dumeira island which Djibouti claims is being
illegally occupied by Eritrea.

Somalia and Ethiopia have been actively working to achieve the normalisation of relations between Djibouti and Eritrea.

An
U.N. arms embargo imposed on Eritrea since 2009 was largely to do with
its alleged support for Somali insurgent group Al-Shabaab but also
because of its agression against Djibouti and refusal to enter any form
of mediation over the disputed regions.

Calls for the sanctions to be lifted has been strong in recent months following the peace deal between the country and Ethiopia.

The
Djibouti – Eritrea standoff is seen by most political and security
analysts as the final rift needed to be solved to restore durable peace
to the Horn of Africa region.